Copy
RIPE logo

RIPE100 policy proposal: $100/unit for stewardship, implementation costs after first year

Looking Back on Our Breakout Year

This was a huge year for RIPE. With your support, we accomplished big goals. Join us in taking a look back at the highlights in the video below! We hope you are as excited as we are about the progress we’ve made and look forward to an even more successful 2023.

2022 In Review: RIPE’s Breakout Year

RIPE Board Members Visit Congressional Offices. Our newly expanded board of directors recently met in person in Washington, D.C. While in town, some also met with their Congressional representatives to discuss how RIPE100 offers an opportunity for bipartisanship in climate policy that works for farmers and ranchers. Some offices said they were interested, and all left the door open for additional conversations.

Urge Your Organization to Endorse RIPE Principles for the Farm Bill! We recently launched our campaign to engage agricultural and conservation groups to help get RIPE100 principles included in the farm bill. Our goal is to get the following in as many organizational farm bill platforms as possible:

“A portion of new funds appropriated by Congress for climate-smart agriculture should be invested in a new conservation program offering a simple enrollment process that enables producers, including early adopters, to earn equitable payments above implementation costs, economic losses during transition to new practices and future climate policy costs. The approved practices will deliver public benefits — including soil health, clean water, water conservation and climate mitigation — that exceed payment value.”

You can play a vital role in advancing this initiative by presenting this farm bill platform to your organizations and urging them to adopt it. Want help in talking to your commodity or ag organization about RIPE? Contact us at GetInvolved@RIPEroadmap.org.

Share your cost-share story

Producer-Leader Spotlight

Jennifer Carr, FAN and IDEA Committee member

Producer Jennifer Carr standing a field of sunflowers

On the farm: I am a third-generation farmer on both sides of my family and have been involved in production agriculture the majority of my life. My husband and I operate a sheep and crop farm in South Central Kansas where we raise wheat, oats, milo, forage crops and are getting into sunflowers.

Each crop we plant is chosen with a dual purpose in mind: It will be harvested as a grain or a residue that can be used for grazing our sheep flock and small cow herd.

As a no-till operator, my tasks are different from what I grew up with, but I still use the love of the land that my parents instilled in me as a child to make the best decisions for the land.

Community Involvement: Kansas Association of County Ag Agents

Why did you decide to participate in the FAN and IDEA Committee? I have seen programs in the past that do not benefit early adopters. One of the things I like about RIPE is support for those early adopters. I also see the benefit personally from some of the climate-friendly practices and think the incentive to continue those practices will be beneficial for many producers.

What impact would the RIPE100 policy have on farmers and ranchers? RIPE 100 will help farmers and ranchers with the costs associated with climate-friendly practices. These are practices that many farmers and ranchers have been doing for years at their own cost and potentially loss of income.

What's your favorite music artist? I love “old” country music: music from the ‘80s, the songs that I listened to as I drove the tractor on the farm growing up!

Focus on Equity & Inclusion

Livestock producers lack incentives to adopt practices that reduce methane gas production and deliver other environmental benefits. Through the pilot project, RIPE and partners will develop sound research, data and producer feedback that will guide the expansion of climate-smart opportunities for livestock producers.

The project includes:

  • A livestock grazing environmental impact tool to inform payment recommendations based on the specific management practices within the broad category of grazing. For instance, adaptive management practices that reduce the amount of supplemental feed inputs will be scored for the greater eco-benefits to inform a higher payment. The tool will include regional information and can be applied across operation locations, types and sizes.

  • A $4 million allocation for Minnesota and Virginia to test the implementation of high-value and high-cost climate-smart practices in a small number of swine, dairy and beef operations. The conservation practices selected will be tailored to each operation and could include basic lagoon covers, collectors and converters, separators, and composting systems. By paying for the full cost of an integrated waste management systems approach, the project will inform national program policy with respect to the costs, technology and management requirements to encourage voluntary adoption of these practices across the United States.

  • Recommendations on verifying methane reductions using realistic, scientific and cost-effective methods. Feedback from producers will inform a practical approach for a voluntary program that delivers scientifically valid results.

  • A livestock working group of pilot partner organizations, enrolled livestock producers, ag industry associations, and other experts working collaboratively will provide feedback and guidance on pilot program design, course corrections, and policy recommendations based on pilot research and experience.

Livestock practices hold great potential to deliver environmental value beyond GHG benefits. Our approach seeks to develop a model for compensating livestock practices that refines NRCS protocols to integrate GHG impacts and addresses upfront costs.

Contact Danica MacAvoy to learn more about the pilot.

Pilot Partnership Featured at Dairy Conference

The Dairy Sustainability Alliance, hosted by the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, invited RIPE Executive Director Aliza Drewes to present at the opening plenary of its fall meeting on Nov. 15, prior to the Sustainable Agriculture Summit. Hundreds of leaders from the dairy and sustainable agriculture sectors learned about the pilot. Producers, technical experts and national organizations who are digging into dairy methane reduction opportunities expressed interest in collaborating. We are excited to continue conversations with them!

A Closer Look at Filter Strips

We continually work to expand the set of RIPE100 qualifying practices. This month, we are highlighting filter strips, which provide over $100 per acre in environmental benefits.

Producers who implement filter strips provide significant climate benefits. The practice reduces greenhouse gas emissions by over 0.8 metric ton per acre — worth over $40 per acre. The practice can also deliver over $2,400 in water quality benefits and nearly $70 in air quality benefits per acre, reaching a total of over $2,500 per acre. Review our methodology and sources here.

See the full list of RIPE’s qualifying practices here.

charge shows forage and biomass planting provides enviro benefits in addition to carbon value

RIPE is a nonprofit that relies on support from foundations, ag associations and donors like you

This year, RIPE spun off from our parent organization and became an independent, tax-exempt 501(c)(3). This means you can make a tax-deductible donation in any amount to help us advance a climate policy that works for farmers and ranchers. We’re looking to end the year strong, with two generous donors matching your gift up to $10,000! Donate one time or monthly, and learn more about our funding here.

You’re Invited!

Learn more about our plans to make RIPE100 a reality, how you can help, and get your questions answered by RIPE staffers in one of our monthly webinars. Click below to check out the schedule and sign up. Share the registration with your friends! The next webinar is on Dec.15.

flier for monthly RIPE100 policy proposal webinar

Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter @RIPEroadmap and use #RIPE100!